How Simba's and Nala's Jungle Meeting Should Have Happened
by Son of the Amazons
Summary: This is a quick one shot of how I think Simba and Nala's jungle meeting should have gone. Enjoy. Originally posted on Furaffinity. Rated K to be safe.


**How Simba and Nala's Jungle Meeting Should have Happened**

It had been three days since Nala had left the Pridelands. She was trying to find help, even though she felt the lionesses could easily defeat Scar. Only reason they couldn't was because they had no King to replace him. And the Hyenas? They were cowards. She knew the mangy poachers would flee as soon as Scar was dead.

But the lionesses could not just kill Scar right off the bat. They needed a good king able to replace him. Mufasa had been killed long ago. As did the same fate happen to her dear friend Simba. If he had still been alive, they could have been able to kill Scar and allow Simba to grow under the tutelage of the pride sisters.

But with Simba out of the picture so many years ago, this was a desperate measure. Sarabi was a good queen, but without any heirs aside from Nuka, who was the son of Scar and Zira to inherit the throne, she could not take claim to the throne, since there was no alternative heir that was not possessed by Scar's evil mind.

Finally after her long journey, Nala saw salvation from the heat. An Oasis. She soon came into the shade, thankful this was not mirage. And it smelled so full of life. This would be a great place to have the pride live, were it not for the fact they needed a king, and heir to their pride, and she wasn't about to let Scar's evil nature bring about ruin to this place. She soon found a river that flowed through that seemed so pure, it was as if the Great Kings of the past had purified it. She drank her fill, quenching her thirst with some of the best water she had had in ages. As more of her senses came back to her, a scent on the wind caught her attention. A scent she never thought she would smell again…. Warthog.

The only thing that would make this day even better would be if Simba were here to enjoy this with her. She soon made her way through the tall grass that led towards the game. But as she got closer to the scent, another scent caught her attention. This scent felt familiar, but she couldn't place it. It wasn't Scar or his minions. And it wasn't the pride sisters…. Who or what was this scent that she was on?

She shook it off as she put her focus back on her hunt. As she saw her prize, he seemed to be preoccupied with a bug. "Come on, just keep ignoring me," Nala mumbled.

But her request was denied, the bug flew away, and the warthog came to see Nala closing in on him. She saw him scream and begin to run off into the jungle. She then gave chase. She wasn't about to lose her lunch. Just when she saw her lunch, and what appeared to be an appetizer as well, caught under a lifted root of one of the trees, she made a pounce and lunged forward.

The last thing she expected was to see a blur of red and gold, lunge back at her. This made her plant her paws before the lion pounced her. Immediately, she thought this was another hungry hunter wanting to grab her kill after she did all the work. No way would she let that happen, and put up a ferocious fight. Just then, as the Lion pounced at her, she executed her old move she had used on her old friend Simba, and soon had him on his back, feeling angry and victorious at the same time as she bared her teeth at her opponent.

But then he said, "Nala?"

This caught her completely off guard. How did this lion know who she was? He asked again, "Is it really you?"

"Who are you?" Nala inquired, wanting to know how he knew her.

"It's me…. Simba," The red maned lion said.

"Simba?" Nala asked in disbelief as she looked at him closer.

The two then wigged out. Simba then explained to her how Timon the Meerkat and the Pumba the Warthog were his friends/adopted uncles. Nala then explained how with him alive, he was the rightful heir to the Pridelands.

But for some reason, which Simba was reluctant to talk about, he didn't want to be king. How could Simba be so childish. TImon and Pumba were trying to say he should be king, saying how much safer he and Pumba would be from the top of the food chain. Nala couldn't really blame them, but she chuckled at the notion.

Finally, after a while, she asked to talk to Simba in private. Timon and Pumba left watching from the shrubs for a little while, until their stomachs told them it was time for grubs. Simba and her did have a little hunt while they were away and had a meal together. Then Nala needed to say her piece. "Simba, I don't understand something. You've been alive all this time. Why didn't you come back to Pride Rock?" Nala pondered.

"Well, I just needed to get out on my own. Live my own life. And I did, and it's great," Simba answered.

Nala sighed, "We've really needed you at home."

Simba pshawed, "No one needs me."

Nala felt angered at his childish attitude. "Yes we do, you're the king," Nala spat.

"Nala we've been through this, I'm not the King. Scar is," Simba defended himself.

"Simba he let the Hyena's take over the pridelands," Nala stated.

"What?... Why didn't my mother stop him?" Simba asked.

"Simba. She was devastated by Mufasa's and your death. Her world was so shattered that she had no mental strength to force Scar to do otherwise," Nala said with tension.

"She wouldn't want me back," Simba said.

"Why?" Nala inquired.

"You wouldn't understand," Simba stated.

"What wouldn't I understand? That you are not the lion Mufasa was wanting you to be? That you just wanted to desert us? If Sarabi knew you were alive, she would have come for you, and brought you back to look after her son," Nala said.

"Not after what I did to my father, Nala," Simba.

"What?" Nala inquired.

"I k- I killed him Nala. There are you happy? I killed my father. I the reason he was killed by the stampede," Simba broke down.

"S-Simba. That's impossible. Scar said he was the one to see Mufasa fall into the stampede. He told us he tried to help him but he couldn't reach. Where were you. When he fell?" Nala asked.

"I was climbing up the ridge to meet him so I could help. I didn't know Scar was up there," Simba said.

Nala was now feeling confused. Simba was on his way up the ridge of the gorge before Mufasa fell? How could Simba be his killer then. "Simba. How does that make you his killer?" Nala asked.

Simba sighed through his tears, "Because I was in the gorge in the first place. I roared, and that roar started a stampede. That's how I am responsible. I wasn't fast enough to get out of there and my dad rescued me, and gave his life because of me."

Nala placed a paw on Simba's shoulder, "Simba, I know that you think it was your fault, but, how could you have even known there was a herd of wildebeests nearby. No one could have known that. But, where were they when you made this roar?"

"They came running in from above the gorge," Simba said as he started to wipe his tears away.

Nala then sat there thinking. But the story didn't add up. "Simba. Are you sure?" Nala asked.

"Yeah, I saw them run right down the cliff, right at me," Simba answered.

"Simba. There's no way you could have caused that stampede to come towards you," Nala said.

"What are you talking about? I roared, they stampeded in, and my father died, what more proof do you want? I killed my father," Simba said.

"Simba, listen to me. When your dad roared at hyena's which way would they run?" Nala asked.

"Well, they ran away from him," Simba answered.

"And the same thing breaths true for any other animal scared by a roar from a lion. If your roar had scared the Wildebeest while you were in the gorge, they would have run away from the gorge. I don't think they were scared by your roar," Nala said.

"But it's still my fault my fathers dead. If I hadn't gotten into trouble again, my dad would still be here," Simba said.

"Simba. It is true that if you were not in the gorge that day, many things would be different, but, there is something that still concerns me. Mufasa, Zazu and Scar were the only three who knew where you were before the accident. But what I want to know is how. How did they know. Zazu wouldn't have been able to see you down there if a stampeded had started. And he had been with Mufasa the whole time. Now that I remember correctly, he had said that Scar had told them that you were….," Nala stopped as realization hit her.

"Wh-What is it Nala?" Simba asked.

"Simba. You didn't murder you dad. You may have bared witness to it, but you're not his killer," Nala answered.

"But If I am not who is?" Simba asked.

"It's Scar," Nala said.

"What. Why would my uncle want to murder my dad?" Simba asked.

"So he could be king Simba. With you and Mufasa out of the picture, he wouldn't have had anyone to challenge his rule. I don't know why he didn't kill you. If he wanted you both out of the way, he should have killed you as well… unless, he wanted us to believe your deaths were accidents. The pride sisters would not argue his assumption of the throne if he didn't get his paws dirty. He must have thought that you both were dead in the Stampede. He possibly started the whole thing," Nala said.

"But, he saw me after I found my dad in the gorge. He didn't want to kill me then," Simba said.

Nala had to think. If he knew Simba wasn't dead in the stampede, how would he make it look like an accident without being found out, and ridding his nephew. Then a thought struck her. "Simba, you told me you ran away, but, was there anything you remember, anything right after talking with your uncle," Nala asked.

"Well, he said to run away and never return and…. I think after that, some hyenas, actually, three you and I met before, were right on my tail, and trying to kill me. I don't know how they got down there, maybe they were trying to find scraps. But then they found me, and tried to…. Wait, are you saying Scar sent them after me?" Simba asked.

"If he wanted to not get blood on his paws, I think that very well may be the case Simba. And it would explain why he let the Hyena's take over. No good king in their right mind would allow those mangy poachers to roam in our lands," Nala said.

"Slobbering Mangy Stupid Poachers as Zazu would say," Simba corrected.

The two had a laugh at that. "Alright. I know what I have to do, but, going back means I have to face my past Nala. I've been running from it for so long."

"Rafiki if you will," Nala said.

Simba then saw Rafiki jump out of nowhere and whack his stick on the future king's forehead. "Ow, jeez, what was that for?"

"It doesn't matter, it's in the past. Heh heh heh," Rafki chuckled.

"Yeah, but is still hurts," Simba complained.

Nala lay a paw on him, and said, "Yes Simba, the past can hurt, but as Rafiki says, you can either run from it…. Or learn from it."

The two ducked as Rafiki took another swing. "Ha! You see? So what are you going to do?" The Baboon asked.

"First, I'm gonna take your stick," Simba said.

"NONONONO! No the stick!" Rafiki ran after his staff before continuing, "Hey! Where are you going?!"

"We're going back!" Nala called.

Rafiki cheered as the rightful king and his betrothed went back to reclaim the Pridelands from the evil clutches of Scar. Now knowing the real truth, it did not take long to get the lionesses on Simba's side and overthrow Scar and his lackeys. Order was restored and the Pridelands were soon teaming with life again. Scar's mate and heir were sore at Simba and would plot a failed attempt to get their family back on top, not long after the birth of the Princess Kiara, and would soon after that be banished.

The End?


End file.
